The new HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3ED PLM WR RE is a compact, weather-resistant telephoto zoom lens delivering enhanced AF performance and a minimum focusing distance of 0.95 metres. When mounted to an APS-C-format digital SLR camera, the HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3ED PLM WR RE lens provides an angle-of-view coverage similar to that of an 84.5-460mm lens on a 35mm full-frame camera. Its upgraded AF performance ensures that it delivers quiet, high-speed AF operation in still-image shooting, as well as smooth AF tracking operation during movie recording to minimise noise caused by focus and aperture shifts. With the incorporation of a retractable structure, the lens measures a mere 89 millimetres in length. The HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3ED PLM WR RE lens carries a recommended retail price of £399.99. The launch date will be announced at the beginning of July.

Sekonic have released two new versions of their acclaimed LiteMaster PRO L­478 series, touchscreen-operated light meters. The new models - the Sekonic LiteMaster PRO L­478DR­EL and L­478DR­PX developed in cooperation with Elinchrom in Switzerland and Phottix in Hong Kong -, offer wireless triggering and power control of Elinchrom flash units and triggering of flashes and radio triggers using the EL­Skyport and Phottix Strato II protocol, respectively. Both use Sekonic’s DTS (Data Transfer Software) system that automates meter calibration to the camera­ in use. The L­478DR­EL’s power screen enables separate selection of any of the four lighting Groups, 1,2,3,4, for flash brightness adjustment in 0.1EV increments by simply tapping buttons on the meter’s touchscreen.The L­478DR­PX flash control screen allows selection of a single group or a combination of groups for flash brightness measurement.  The measured value for each group is maintained as a visual record of the brightness difference of the lights in use so that lighting ratio for a total exposure reading can easily be determined. The L­478DR­PX group selection and triggering is compatible with Phottix flashes and radios that are compatible with the Phottix Strato II protocol. This includes flashes connected to the Strato and Strato II receiver and the Atlas II transceivers. Compatible Phottix flashes include the Indra360, Indra500 and Mitros+series flashes designed for use with Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras. Both the Elinchrom and the Phottix versions of the Litemaster PRO L478 are available for £350.

Phase One has released Media Pro SE (Second Edition), a software application built to manage large photo libraries. This edition adds support for the latest Mac and Windows operating systems and supports adjustments from the latest build of Capture One 9. "Media Pro is a much loved application with special workflow solutions, and it enjoys a large and active customer base," said James Johnson, Software Product Manager, Phase One. "This release incorporates the most recent feedback from those customers." Media Pro SE is available now for $189/€189. Owners of Media Pro 1 may upgrade for $/€39.

The Kodak Professional Film App is now available for both Android and iOS devices. With Kodak Professional  film roll sales growing more than 5% worldwide from 2013-2015, this free app was created to answer the often-asked questions – such as what types of film are suitable for certain environments, where to buy film, and where to develop film, to name a few.  In each section, users will be able to find examples of each type of photography, along with what others have done with Kodak Professional film. For Android users, the app is now available in the Google Play Store. For iOS devices, download the new version for iPad and the updated iPhone version from iTunes.

Toshiba Europe has launched a new range of entry-level USB 3.0 flash memory USB drives with capacities of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Launched under the TransMemory brand, the new SuperSpeed U303 ‘it’s mini!’ range of drives transfer content twice as fast as USB 2.0 alternatives, while still offering backwards compatibility with Hi Speed USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 standards. Shipment of the new TransMemory U303 USB drives will start at the end of this month.

Canon have launched Canon Online Learning, a new programme of digital courses designed to help photo and video enthusiasts develop their skills at their own pace. Available now, the programme currently comprises 7 courses including Photo 101: How to Take Great Pictures, Printing Basics & Beyond, Great Landscapes Made Easy, Simple Tips for Photographing Children, Getting Started with Flash Photography, Understanding EOS Camera Operations and Canon Insider Guide: EOS Rebel Series. These first seven courses, and subsequent classes to follow, will include video guides unique to each course with the option to download or print PDF materials. With the exception of Canon Insider Guide: EOS Rebel Series, courses will also include complementary resources such as bonus video content, lighting/shooting diagrams, shot lists, resource guides and interviews with course instructors. Initial course offerings range from $19.99-$59.99.

Nikon UK has announced the appointment of two new photographers to its Ambassador line-up, Richard Peters and Helen Sloan. Introduced in 2013 Richard Peters is an award winning wildlife photographer with a wealth of experience in his field, whilstHelen Sloan is a film and TV stills photographer who works on the popular HBO series Game of Thrones.to celebrate class-leading photographers working in specific fields of photography, the Nikon Ambassador initiative aims to inspire people to pick up their camera and reach their creative potential. Jeremy Gilbert, Group Marketing Manager, at Nikon UK says: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Peters and Helen Sloan to our Ambassador scheme. Since the launch of the Ambassador scheme in 2013 we have seen some amazing talent in our line-up and it continues to go from strength to strength. Through the ambassadors we are able to engage with our customers but most importantly, encourage enthusiasts to take a step up with their photography.”

The new Pictools photographic accessory family includes the Pictools PTEF-SE-AF lens adapter for mounting Canon EF/EF-S lenses to Sony E-mount camera bodies, the PT51RK42 5-in-1 reflector kit, the PTFBD80 & PTFBD120 folding beauty dish and the portable PTSLK80 flash lighting kit. The Pictools PTEF-SE-AF lens adapter ($94.99) supports both APS-C and full-frame cameras, and provides auto focus via electronic contacts that also transmit aperture signals and exposure data between your Canon lens and your Sony NEX camera. The Pictools PT51RK42 kit ($94.99) comprises a 42" disc, a 5-in-1 reflector set, 6’ stand, reflector holder and carrying case. The Pictools Foldable Beauty Dish (31ˇ version: $199.99, 47" variant: $259.99) is billed as the most robust and complete kit of its kind on the market today, featuring 16 spring-loaded ribs, a steel base and a Bowens-compatible speed ring. Directional control of the light is accomplished using the included grid which attaches quickly to the provided Velcro lip. Finally, the Pictools PTSLK80 Speedlite Lighting Kit includes a Tri-Flash bracket that permits the mounting of up to 3 speedlites on the included light stand, plus a 31” silver lined Octa Umbrella Soft Box for $98.99.

The British Journal of Photography has revealed the winners of BJP Breakthrough 2016, its annual search for the world's best student and graduate photographers. This year's Graduate Series award went to the Belfast School of Art graduate Jan McCullough for her series Home Instruction Manual, while the Graduate Single Image award went to the UK-based Polish photographer Piotr Karpinski for his image titled Woman in the Church No.1. Sicilian photographer Simone Sapienza won the Undergraduate Series award for his Vietnam-based project Charlie surfs on Lotus Flowers, while Irish photographer Daragh Soden won the Undergraduate Single Image award for an image from his series Young Dubliners. The winning work will be exhibited at BJP's dedicated space at Free Range, the UK's largest creative graduate showcase from Friday, 24th June - Monday, 4th July 2016.

Sigma have announced that their 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art, 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art and 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM lenses are not fully compatible with the new Canon EOS-1D X Mark II digital SLR camera. This partial incompatibility may cause exposure inaccuracies when “Evaluative Metering” or “Centre-weighted Average Metering” metering is employed. Sigma are currently working on a firmware fix for each lens. Release dates for the firmware updates will be announced later.

Inspired by the scientific uses of infrared film throughout history, The Unseen - An Atlas of Infrared Plates by Edward Thompson pushes the purposes and properties of the rarest photographic film on the planet to its scientific and conceptual limit. The project comprises twelve chapters documenting everything from the most radioactive forest in the world to rapidly melting glacial ice caves and superficial veins beneath the human skin. Published by Schilt, the 266-page hardback is available for £30 | $50 | €45. 

Polaroid has launched a new, fully automatic TTL flash unit for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony cameras. The Studio Series Digital PL-108AF flash has a guide number of 18 (in metres at ISO100/21°) and comes with a tilting flash head with precise light control, red-eye reduction capabilities and an AF assist light. It also includes quick settings such as Auto Focus, TTL metering and automatic shutter speed for simple shooting. The Polaroid studio series digital auto focus flash line models are now available from $48.95 – $53.99 on Amazon

The British Journal of Photography (BJP) has announced that it is raising funds using by offering shares to its readers and followers via crowdfunding website CrowdCube. BJP is seeking fresh investment to bring its archive - which spans over 160 years of content - to the public via the Web. Over 180,000 pages, encompassing all of photographic history, have already been scanned and digitised. Due to unprecedented demand the crowdfunding campaign has reached its initial funding goal within hours of going live, with 24 days still left for investors to get involved.

Into the Woods, a new exhibition by young British photographer Ellie Davies will showcase her new work from the series 'Half Light', alongside her earlier bodies of work. In 'Half Light,' Davies adds a new element – water – a dark, still river, bordered by colourful, textured riverbanks rich with vegetation. The murky water dissects each image creating a false horizon, separating the viewer from the twilight forest beyond and allowing the land to be considered from a distance. ‘Growing up in the New Forest in the south of England, I spent my childhood exploring and playing in the woods with my twin sister. In Half Light, I consider my relationship with these places, my ongoing attempt to reconnect with the wilder landscapes of my youth and to discover if those remembered and imagined places can be found and captured again.’ In addition to 'Half Light', Into The Woods will include previous bodies of work in Davies’s woodland series’ including 'Stars', 'Between The Trees', 'Islands', 'Come With Me' and 'The Gloaming'. Ellie Davies: Into The Woods will run from 21st July to 20th August 2016 at the Crane Kalman Gallery, 178 Brompton Road, London SW1 1HQ.

Intelligent Imaging Solutions have released an update to their piccure+ software, billed as "a revolution in computational photography." Leveraging the processing capabilities of advanced GPUs, Version 3.0 promises an increase in speed of up to 6x compared to version 2.5. Compared to version 2, the increase in speed is 10x faster. Pricing starts at $79.99 for a single license.

G-Technology have announced a partnership with Atomos, a manufacturer of smart 4K and HD video production tools, to develop solutions that help creative professionals save time in the content creation process. "At Atomos, we are committed to creating easy-to-use products that merge the complicated steps in the content creation process,” said Jeromy Young, CEO and Co-founder, Atomos. “By partnering with G-Technology, the most well-known and respected storage brand in the media and entertainment industry, we’re extending our capabilities even further, helping our users quickly transfer and store their most precious work.” The new prototypes will be on display at Cine Gear, June 3-4, in Hollywood at the G-Technology booth #S315A and the Atomos booth #S137.

Leica Camera has announced that the Leica S-Adapter L for the Leica SL compact system camera is now available.The S-Adapter L allows the use of 16 Leica S-Lenses with focal lengths from 24 to 180mm (including six central shutter lenses), in addition to the system’s own lenses, the Vario-Elmarit–SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 ASPH. and the Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90-280mm f/2.8-4. The Leica S-Adapter L is available now from Leica stores and authorised Leica dealers in the UK at a suggested retail price of £950. Another new addition to the range of accessories and equipment for the Leica SL camera system is the AA-SCL4 Audio Adapter, which is scheduled to be available at the end of June 2016 for an SRP of £120.

The Sony World Photography Awards are now open for entries. Photographers are welcome to enter their work for free into any of the awards’ four competitions: Professional, Open, Youth and Student Focus. The 2017 edition also sees new categories introduced across the all competitions challenging photographers to push their creative boundaries. In addition to the Professional, Open, Youth and Student Focus competitions, the hunt is also on to find the UK’s best photographer in the UK National award. Entries to the UK National Award will be taken from those with British nationality entering any of the ten Open categories. The Sony World Photography Awards shortlist will be announced on 28 February 2017, Open and National Awards winners revealed on March 28 and overall winners announced on April 20.

SkyPixel has launched a 360-degree Panorama Contest in conjunction with DJI. 360-degree panoramas are a relatively new feature on SkyPixel, and a separate section of the website dedicated to 360-degree imaging had been soft launched prior to the contest. Contestants may use any aerial platform to capture and submit their entries. The Grand Prize includes a DJI Phantom 4 and a Huawei P9 Plus smartphone, and the submission deadline is 20 June 2016.

The Elinchrom EL-Skyport Plus HS transmitter is now available to Sony users. This will give them the ability to control and visualise power settings for all their compatible Elinchrom lights and the capability to shoot at speeds up to 1/8000s in Hi-Sync mode. The ODS (Over Drive Sync) enables users to fine tune the Skyport Plus HS transmitter’s trigger signal to optimise exposure at high shutter speeds whilst gaining up to 2 more f-stops of light. Moreover, users can control the modelling lamp and power of each flash unit directly from the Skyport transmitter, which instantly shows the updated settings. The Elinchrom EL-Skyport Plus HS is available for $249.95 / €249 / £199.